### B. Revision of the Home Appliance Recycling System

In April 2006, five years have passed since the enforcement of the Home Appliance Recycling Law, and it was time to revise the Home Appliance Recycling System according to a provision of the law. In June of the same year, the system was examined and evaluated in the joint conference of the Central Environment Council and the Industrial Structure Council. As a result in February 2008, “Report on the Evaluation and Examination of the Implementation Status of the Home Appliance Recycling System” was compiled.

The Ministry of the Environment has concretized the measures shown by the report as follows:

- In order to prescribe the addition of home appliances subject to the law (liquid crystal and plasma televisions and laundry driers) and the raising of the recycling ratio of the existing home appliances subject to the law, the enforcement ordinance of the Home Appliance Recycling Law was revised in December of the same year (enforced in April 1, 2009).

- For the establishment of a cooperative framework among concerned parties including financial support concerning measures against illegal dumping, and the improvement of the collection and transportation of waste home appliances in isolated islands, with financial cooperation from the manufacturers of home appliances cooperative projects have started for the prevention of illegal dumping and to provide measures for isolated islands.

- In November 1, 2008, the recycling charges of air-conditioners, CRT-based televisions (15-inch or smaller types), and refrigerators and freezers (170-liter or less types) were lowered for waste home appliances to be collected appropriately and for burdens borne by consumers to be eased before TV analog broadcasting is stopped in 2011.

- Concerning designated collection sites that are currently divided into two groups, in order to reduce the burdens and inequalities among retailers, etc. concerning the collection and transportation of waste home appliances, locations that are distant from both groups were commoditized in advance to create a smooth environment for transactions.

- Because distribution by retailers for reuse of specified home appliances is expected to improve convenience for consumers who dispose of waste home appliances, “Guidelines on the creation of standards for sorting for reuse and recycling” were laid down to promote appropriate reuse and recycling for retailers.

## (7) Construction Materials Recycling Act (Construction Recycling Act)

### A. Enforcement Status

The Construction Recycling Act was enforced in May 2002, targeting concrete mass, asphalt and concrete mass, and waste lumber disposed of at construction sites. In fiscal 2005, the recycling rate of concrete mass and that of asphalt and concrete mass was 98.1% and 98.6%, respectively, which are high values. The recycling rate of lumber disposed at construction sites is 68.2% and the rate with reduction included is 90.7%, showing steady recycling.

### B. Revision of the Construction Recycling System

In order to address issues related to construction recycling, “Plan 2008 for Promoting the Construction Waste Recycling” was formulated in April 2008, and measures based on this plan are being taken. In addition, in order to understand the actual state of construction by-products after the formulation of “Plan 2008 for Promoting the Construction Waste Recycling”, research on the actual state of construction by-products for fiscal 2008 was carried out. Because five years passed since the complete enforcement of the Construction Recycling Act in May 2002, an interim report was compiled after six deliberations by the joint conference of the Social Capital Development Council and the Central Environment Council. After that, in the seventh joint conference held in December 2008, a report mainly focused on the visualization of construction recycling was compiled. According to these reports, the Ministry of the Environment decided to conduct necessary system revisions including the revision of its ministerial ordinances.

## (8) Law for the Promotion of the Utilization of

## Recyclable Food Resources (Food Recycling Law)

The rate of recycling, etc. of recyclable food resources in fiscal 2007 was 54% for the whole food industry. Concerning the recycling rate of each business category, 81% for the food manufacturing industry, 62% for the food wholesaling industry, 35% for the food retailing industry, and 22% for the food service industry, showing differences among the industries.

According to the law that revised part of the Law for the Promotion of the Utilization of Recyclable Food Resources, which was enforced in December 2007, the Ministry of the Environment is making efforts including approval of the recycling business plan implemented by the parties concerned in cooperation with one another to achieve the target implementation rate (shown in the basic policy based on the provision of Paragraph (1), Article 3 of the same law) of the recycling, etc. of recyclable food resources by food-related business operators.

## (9) Law for the Recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles (Vehicle recycling Law)

### A. Enforcement Status

Since the Vehicle Recycling Law was enforced completely in January 2005, among the business operators affected by the law, the following have been registered and approved by the 47 prefectures, etc.: about 79,000 vehicle collecting companies, about 18,000 fluorocarbons collecting companies, about 6,600 vehicle dismantling companies, and about 1,300 vehicle crushing companies.

The national government, in cooperation with the relevant administrative agencies of the 47 prefectures, etc, aimed to ensure fair application of the law and took measures against improper treatment of vehicles, targeting the last users of vehicles, relevant business operators, and exporters.

In addition, in order to enforce the law efficiently, the government using various types of media conducted public relation activities and held briefings for relevant business operators, vehicle owners, etc.

Costs needed for recycling of fluorocarbons, air bags, and